Preparation and Characterization of BaTiO<SUB>3</SUB>-BaAl<SUB>2</SUB>O4-Al<SUB>2</SUB>O<SUB>3</SUB> Composite Support and Catalytic Performance of Its Nickel-Based Catalyst for CO<SUB>2</SUB> Reforming of Methane

Abstract

Nickel-based catalyst supported on BaTiO3 possesses higher initial activity for carbon dioxide reforming of methane. However, the specific surface area of the BaTiO3 support is too small, and this restricts its application as a catalyst support. A BaTiO3-BaAl2O4-Al2O3 composite support was prepared by the sol-gel method using hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide as the structure template. The Ba-TiO3-BaAl2O4-Al2O3 composite was characterized by X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, N2 adsorption-desorption, transmission electron microscopy, and H2 temperature-programmed reduction. The catalytic performance of the Ni/BaTiO3-BaAl2O4-Al2O3 catalyst was investigated by CO2 reforming of CH4. The results showed that the BaTiO3-BaAl2O4-Al2O3 composite support owns a porous texture and high specific surface area, the BaTiO3 and BaAl2O4 phases, whose crystalline size is in the range of 20–50 nm, exist on the inside and outside surface of the composite support in the form of crystalline particles. The size of micropores of the composite support is 10–20 nm, The presence of both BaTiO3 and BaAl2O4 phases on the surface of the composite support weakens the strong interaction between the nickel species and γ-Al2O3 of the Ni/BaTiO3-BaAl2O4-Al2O3 catalyst, and the possibility of the formation of NiAl2O4 spinel is decreased. The Ni/BaTiO3-BaAl2O4-Al2O3 catalyst with 17.33% Ba content shows the highest activity and excellent stability for CH4 reforming with CO2 to synthesis gas.